weekly GarethB's 52 challenge for 2019 - Week 51 & 52 - CHRISTMASSY & OUTTAKES - FINISHED!

BobBCN said:
Superb shots, full of action and pin sharp. Well done!
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Many thanks Bob, for taking the time to comment, most appreciated!(y)

Daniel_Paul said:
Some great captures there Gareth!! Love the first one, fits the theme perfectly!
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Thank you Daniel, I appreciate your positive comments!(y)

Dave70D said:
Great set of images Gareth for young, all very nicely in focus and sharp just as sharp as what Gulls are too.
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Many thanks Dave (y) , indeed they're pretty bold - I think they were arguing over some bread thrown by some young children who were dragged away quickly when it started to get aggressive!

Ganton Gunner said:
Entrance No1 for for me love it works brilliantly
and I like the young gulls too very nice capture :)
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Thank you Peter, I appreciate the time taken to look and comment!(y)

IanD said:
Lovely images Gareth. Looks like you caught them perfectly. Great action to the shot
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Many thanks Ian, yes, I got lucky there!(y)

rpn said:
Two excellent shots and expertly captured with perfect timing and depth of field. We get lots of these aggressive Young gulls around here too.
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Thank you kindly Stan!(y) Yep, they're pushy little blighters!! I'm not a fan of feeding them, but it does yield some nice photo opportunities!

Carl Hall said:
As everyone else has said, two top images. The first is my pick.
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Thank you kindly Carl, your positive comments are most appreciated!(y)
 
Hi Gareth,

Liking you first shot for Entrance. I find it really surprising that buildings like that can be abandoned really. The colour version seems to have more 'pop' to it. Nicely composed with a perfect amount of foreground to show that nature has truly taken it back over.

I think the first shot for Young is the one for me. The inclusion of the far side of the lake adds to it as the the gull with it's beak open yelling at another one. Great shot.
 
Leebert said:
Hi Gareth,

Liking you first shot for Entrance. I find it really surprising that buildings like that can be abandoned really. The colour version seems to have more 'pop' to it. Nicely composed with a perfect amount of foreground to show that nature has truly taken it back over.

I think the first shot for Young is the one for me. The inclusion of the far side of the lake adds to it as the the gull with it's beak open yelling at another one. Great shot.
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Thank you kindly Lee for commenting, most appreciated.(y)
 
Excellent shot for Young. Great timing with the top left bird looking down to the others. top job
 
Entrance - Nice lighting, interesting looking building sad its not looked after. I think I prefer it in colour.
Young - Great shot of them in them mid air, first shot again is my choice.
 
Chenti said:
Excellent shot for Young. Great timing with the top left bird looking down to the others. top job
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Many thanks Vince, appreciate the positive comment.(y)

jono2002 said:
Entrance - Nice lighting, interesting looking building sad its not looked after. I think I prefer it in colour.
Young - Great shot of them in them mid air, first shot again is my choice.
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Thank you kindly Jonathan, for looking and commenting.(y)
 
Week 13 - Food

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Seems odd to admit that I struggled a bit with this theme....couldn't get any inspiration from anywhere, and the googles were no help either!

So there I was staring out of the window at the plant pots, and....


TP-52-2019 wk-13 - Food1 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr

The above image was taken on my favourite black shiny tile!
The one below was shot in a home made lightbox....it has a white bedsheet as diffusers on the top and the sides (each through which I had a flash).
I think perhaps there's a slight colour cast....that'll teach me not to set a manual white balance!


TP-52-2019 wk-13 - Food2 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr

Not sure which one I prefer, probably the one on my beloved black, shiny tile!

As always, thanks for looking folks.:)
 
That's a great picture, very creative, excellent light and colours...
I need to get a black shiny tile or piece of acrylic!
 
That's Fab :)
 
Dave70D said:
Well Gareth you can struggle for the rest of your 52 for all I care, that`s if your going to come up with great shots like above. I really like both and can`t really pick a stand out one as both are great.
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Gosh! Thank you very much Dave, very kind comments indeed! (y)

mdpF2 said:
That's a great picture, very creative, excellent light and colours...
I need to get a black shiny tile or piece of acrylic!
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Many thanks Mark, I appreciate the positive comments.(y)
I wish I had bought a sheet of acrylic now....that black tile is jolly heavy, and clear acrylic would allow more colour variation with the use of coloured 'underlays'.
 
both really good, very creative you always put a lot of thought into your pics, its certainly pays off :clap:
 
Really clever take on this week's theme. I would like a little bit of separation between the pots though in the black one.
 
Wow Gareth, that's very clever! Bet it took a while to carve the carrots to look like plant pots :D Definitely prefer the second lighter version, well done
 
Scots_quine said:
Really clever take on this week's theme. I would like a little bit of separation between the pots though in the black one.
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Thank you for taking the time to look and comment Joan.(y)
Good point regarding the placement of the 'pots', and I certainly should have made the spacing between them even! I didn't notice that when I uploaded them! Funny how one is blind to certain aspects....I think I just became fixated on the lighting!:facepalm:
I would have been happy to oblige, and do a quick reshoot Joan, but unfortunately I have eaten the props!:LOL:

Carl Hall said:
Wow Gareth, that's very clever! Bet it took a while to carve the carrots to look like plant pots :D Definitely prefer the second lighter version, well done
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Many thanks Carl, appreciate the positive comments!
It would have taken an awful lot longer if I hadn't given up trying to carve perfectly shaped 'pots'!
I wouldn't have achieved that 'carrotty' look, they would have looked like....well....pots!:giggle:
 
I'm not sure which one I prefer either Gareth to be honest, I like the reflections on the black but I also like the fact they're separated on the white! Are they carrots for pots too!? Very creative!
 
Yet another cracker of an image for Food Gareth. Your 52 photos are the gift that keeps giving. Very creative and perfectly composed & shot. I prefer the black tile version for the reflection. :clap:
 
That's great once again Gareth. I much prefer the first with the dark, sleek background and reflections. Really good.

I think I need to get me a shiny back tile ;)
 
Daniel_Paul said:
I'm not sure which one I prefer either Gareth to be honest, I like the reflections on the black but I also like the fact they're separated on the white! Are they carrots for pots too!? Very creative!
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Many thanks Daniel, appreciate the positive feedback, yep, they are carrots for pots!(y)

Leebert said:
Yet another cracker of an image for Food Gareth. Your 52 photos are the gift that keeps giving. Very creative and perfectly composed & shot. I prefer the black tile version for the reflection. :clap:
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Thank you most kindly Lee, for the positive comments, very much appreciated!(y)

BobBCN said:
Wonderful as well as organic!! Didn't realise the pots were carrots!!
Creativity abounds. Excellent!!
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Thank you very much Bob, for your positive comments (y) ....I didn't realise my 'carving' skills were that good!!:giggle:

IanD said:
That's great once again Gareth. I much prefer the first with the dark, sleek background and reflections. Really good.

I think I need to get me a shiny back tile ;)
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Thank you Ian, for looking and commenting!(y)
Indeed, the black shiny tile comes in handy, though as Mark (@mdpF2) says earlier in the thread, a clear sheet of acrylic would be easier on the back!:giggle:
 
Week 14 - Smooth.

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Bit of a shoehorn here....I struggled for ideas again, so since I was at Snetterton raceway last Sunday, I decided to go with a 'smooth(ish)' panning shot of a lovely little 1960 Austin Healey 'Frogeye' Sprite which was competing in the 'Classic K' series.

Better get my excuses in early:giggle:....motorsport panning is hard!! Really hard!!
My 'keeper' rate is quite low (approx 1 in 50/60), and this image is one of the better ones.
From over two thousand images shot, I have maybe 30-40 keepers!
(I thought it looked the smoothest out of all the shots I took that day, even though some of my others are perhaps a little sharper).

Practice makes perfect, and I think I'm getting better, but I always end up with a lot of images that look the same....not helped by the fact that I usually stand in one place - the turn at Murrays which leads to the start/finish straight.

Anyway, here it is....smooth panning!


frogeye1 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr

...as always, thanks for looking folks.:)
 
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Good panning and I like the angle I’m no expert on motor sport but it looks good to me.
 
I've tried panning for motorsport and it can be quite difficult, so well done on getting this Gareth! The thing I found that helped the most was taking three of each shot, that way the middle shot of the three doesn't involve you either pressing or releasing the shutter, which can help with the smooth movement.

Anyway, I love this. The blues and greens are awesome and the amount of blur really makes it look like it's going at some speed.
 
I really like the composition of the Smooth shot. Having tried some panning myself i'm very appreciative if that image, a great capture.
 
Great shot Gareth, love the take on the Theme! What track?
 
Allan.H said:
Good panning and I like the angle I’m no expert on motor sport but it looks good to me.
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Many thanks Allan, appreciate the comment.(y)

Dave70D said:
Smooth is a very good image Gareth, the blur in the bg shows you have a great talent for panning which is great as the car is nicely sharp with the wheels a good blur.
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Thank you kindly Dave!(y) Glad you like it....though you should see some of ones I binned....terrible!!:giggle:

Carl Hall said:
I've tried panning for motorsport and it can be quite difficult, so well done on getting this Gareth! The thing I found that helped the most was taking three of each shot, that way the middle shot of the three doesn't involve you either pressing or releasing the shutter, which can help with the smooth movement.

Anyway, I love this. The blues and greens are awesome and the amount of blur really makes it look like it's going at some speed.
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Thank you Carl for the positive comments and the advice.(y)
You're absolutely right, it's all about a smooth action, and no jolting the camera. When I first started, I read about how one could apply a 'golf swing' type of movement - that is to start moving the camera early, then start firing the shutter at the mid-point of the 'swing', and most importantly, to follow through, even though at the end of the 'swing' you're not shooting anymore.
Seems to work, but it takes a bit of practice....fortunately I live about half an hour away from the track, and track days are free entry!

FlyPhot said:
I really like the composition of the Smooth shot. Having tried some panning myself i'm very appreciative if that image, a great capture.
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Many thanks indeed Jim, very much appreciated!(y)

Daniel_Paul said:
Great shot Gareth, love the take on the Theme! What track?
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Thank you Daniel, for looking and commenting.(y)
The track is Snetterton in Norfolk.
They host quite a number of national events, including the BTCC, British Superbikes and GTs etc.
The track days are free entry for spectators, so are perfect for panning practice.
Here is a link:
https://www.snetterton.co.uk/circuit-information.aspx

gremlin16 said:
Fabulous piece of panning and great use of colour to make a really appealing image. I am hopeless at panning with cars and need to pull my finger out practicing. Great image, bang on.
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Thank you most kindly @gremlin16 (y)- glad you like it, the colours are what made me choose this image....they just seemed to work nicely.
 
Yep - panning slow is a toughie - at least we're not shooting film :D

Nicely done at 1/80"
 
Hi Gareth,

Young - The first of the two shots for me, that's a great action shot. Not sure why you don't think it's perfect, the gulls are plenty sharp, they look about to go into battle and they pop out from the background. Splendid.

Food - Very clever. Nicely colourful, strong reflections, nicely lit. (y)

Smooth - Panning is fun isn't it. If you think panning at a track is difficult, try doing it rallying (where they are moving vertically as well as horizontally at different rates at either end of the car). You could try avoiding holding your camera at an angle, so that the panning is more natural, that might help the technique. And I presume you know to keep the pan going even after you've stopping firing off shots (sounds stupid, I know. But it stops you subconsciously begining to stop the pan motion before you've finished shooting).
Lovely looking sprite there. 948cc of the finest A Series POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
-Oy- said:
Yep - panning slow is a toughie - at least we're not shooting film :D

Nicely done at 1/80"
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Many thanks Dave!(y)
Yep, I can imagine how challenging it would be on film....suppose the pros would need an assistant, constantly loading rolls and passing cameras back and forth continuously!
Must have cost a fortune!!

LC2 said:
Hi Gareth,

Young - The first of the two shots for me, that's a great action shot. Not sure why you don't think it's perfect, the gulls are plenty sharp, they look about to go into battle and they pop out from the background. Splendid.

Food - Very clever. Nicely colourful, strong reflections, nicely lit. (y)

Smooth - Panning is fun isn't it. If you think panning at a track is difficult, try doing it rallying (where they are moving vertically as well as horizontally at different rates at either end of the car). You could try avoiding holding your camera at an angle, so that the panning is more natural, that might help the technique. And I presume you know to keep the pan going even after you've stopping firing off shots (sounds stupid, I know. But it stops you subconsciously begining to stop the pan motion before you've finished shooting).
Lovely looking sprite there. 948cc of the finest A Series POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Thank you very much Tim for the detailed feedback and advice!(y)
Rallying is next level panning!! I don't live near any rally stages, so I haven't tried that yet....not sure I ever will, what with my chronic aversion to early mornings!!:giggle:
Indeed, for panning, I read that one should think of it like a golf swing....begin the movement, then start shooting whilst moving smoothly, then stop shooting but follow through with the movement!
As for the angle....I tried to copy....was inspired by the technique the pros used, and a lot of them seem to use the slanted composition....I suppose it gives it a dynamic feel. But you're right, it's easier and more consistent as a straight, horizontal pan.

BobBCN said:
Stunning shot. A first class example of panning!!
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Thank you most kindly Bob! Your positive comments are very much appreciated!(y)

Leebert said:
Brilliant shot for Smooth there Gareth. Super sharp and that lovely motion blur in the BG shows that you panning is super smooth too :clap:
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Many thanks Lee! Very kind and positive comments, most appreciated!(y)
 
Smooth works great for me as an image, shoehorned or not. Love the motion blur and the colours of the grass, car, track, then grass again, cutting across the image diagonally is fantastic
 
I am so behind on comments, having a major catch up.

DISTANT - I think that works well the back ground colour really suits it
COLD - I like the second image with the smoke, it look like a dry ice effect.
WAITING - can I borrow that for the Beavers Scouts to spot the Dangers next time we do our safety badge.
ROUGH - I like the abstractness of it and the vibrant background
OBJECT - I got some of them... somewhere. The marbles are my favorite too
WET - great colours in the first, but my favorite is the droplet with the flower in
FREE - I like the Sooc version best great colours
ENTRANCE - looks like the entrance to the secret garden I like it.
YOUNG - both great images nice and sharp and right on theme
FOOD - very clever idea, that black tile is certainly earning it keep.
SMOOTH - excellent bit of tracking very well done.
 
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IanD said:
Smooth works great for me as an image, shoehorned or not. Love the motion blur and the colours of the grass, car, track, then grass again, cutting across the image diagonally is fantastic
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Thank you kindly Ian! I really appreciate your positive comments!(y)

minx said:
I am so behind on comments, having a major catch up.

DISTANT - I think that works well the back ground colour really suits it
COLD - I like the second image with the smoke, it look like a dry ice effect.
WAITING - can I borrow that for the Beavers Scouts to spot the Dangers next time we do our safety badge.
ROUGH - I like the abstractness of it and the vibrant background
OBJECT - I got some of them... somewhere. The marbles are my favorite too
WET - great colours in the first, but my favorite is the droplet with the flower in
FREE - I like the Sooc version best great colours
ENTRANCE - looks like the entrance to the secret garden I like it.
YOUNG - both great images nice and sharp and right on theme
FOOD - very clever idea, that black tile is certainly earning it keep.
SMOOTH - excellent bit of tracking very well done.
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Thank you so much Alison....what an epic catch up indeed!!(y)
I really appreciate the time you've taken to give such positive feedback....and of course you can borrow my 'waiting' image.
For your information, Tim (@LC2 ) correctly listed all the hazards thus:

Tim said:
1. Petrol Can (open)
2. aerosol on hot plate thing
3. Gas on toaster
4. Matches in toaster
5. Cable hanging off work surface
6. frayed cable in plug
7. Matches holding bare wires in plug
8. Too many plugs in 1 socket
9. Kettle about to fall over
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Had a lot of fun making that image!:giggle:
 
Week 15 - Above

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After a whole week of head-scratching, wandering around with my camera and looking for something to fit the above theme....I realised that there is a distinct lack of 'above' in Norfolk!
Although that's not strictly fair....it's my lack of creativity that's ultimately to blame!!
Not having any hills can be a bit frustrating!:giggle:
So I decided to take some photos of the historic market place in Norwich....from above naturally....or as 'above' as I could manage!
Hope you're ready for a history lesson....

This first image, taken from a raised area where people park their motorcycles, shows the historic market place in Norwich.
The exact date of it's foundation is not recorded, but it is known to have been operational by the time the Domesday Book was compiled in 1086.

The flint building in the centre of the frame, is the Guildhall, which was the former seat of city government from the early 15th century up until 1938.
It was constructed between 1407 and 1413, and is the largest surviving medieval civic building in the country, outside London.

The red brick building was formally Chamberlin & Sons department store, which was the most celebrated store in Norwich in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
It is now a Tesco Metro.


TP-52-2019 wk-15 - Above 3 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr

This next image (again taken from above the market place) shows Norwich Castle in the distance, a motte and bailey construction (a big hill surrounded by a protective ditch), sitting above it's surroundings, it has views over the whole of Norwich.
It is now a museum, however, it was founded in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of England, when William the Conqueror ordered it's construction some time between 1066 and 1075.


TP-52-2019 wk-15 - Above 2 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr

(I think I managed to get the word 'above' in there enough times for it to not seem like a shoehorn!):giggle:

...as always, thanks for looking folks.:)
 
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